News & Events
Mercersburg Celebrates 114th Commencement
Mercersburg Academy conferred diplomas upon 128 members of the Class of 2007 Saturday, June 2, as part of its 114th commencement exercises. (See photos of Commencement 2007.)
Members of the graduating class plan to enroll at 93 different colleges and universities. Dickinson College and the United States Naval Academy are the most popular destinations of this year’s graduates (five apiece). Other institutions represented include Duke University, Columbia University, Northwestern University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Southern California, Carnegie Mellon University, and Sewanee.
Graduates received their diplomas from Head of School Douglas Hale and Board of Regents President Denise M. Dupre ’76.
Yea Eun Kwak of Northbrook, Illinois, was valedictorian of the class; Chuck Roberts of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, was salutatorian. The Nevin Orator was Tyler Small of Nashport, Ohio, and the Class Orator was Alex Gekas of Frederick, Maryland. Class President Ryan Colby of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, gave the welcome; Samantha Schroer and Tim Rahauser, both of Mercersburg, offered the invocation and benediction, respectively. Andrew Graham of Gibson Island, Maryland, and Madi McConnell of Blairsville, Pennsylvania, served as Class Marshals.
Dick Cass ’64, president of the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens and a former member of the Academy’s Board of Regents, gave the commencement address. (Read the transcript of Cass's speech.)
While referencing Robert Frost’s famous poem “The Road Not Taken,” Cass advised the graduating class to “not be in a hurry” to choose a path. “If you arrive at two roads in a wood, take one for a while, and then turn around, go back and take the second road,” Cass said. “Indeed, there may be three or four or five roads you need to try.
“Whatever road you may take, you will be well-prepared because of your experience here at Mercersburg,” he continued. “You should not underestimate the usefulness of what you have experienced here as a platform for dealing with the difficult issues that will undoubtedly come your way in the years ahead. In ways you cannot imagine, your Mercersburg experience will return again and again to serve you well.”
Honorary diplomas were awarded to longtime Mercersburg faculty member Donald D. Hill and Mercersburg resident Robert L. “Cornie” Watson. Hill, who will retire in November, has spent 37 years at Mercersburg as a teacher, coach, director of admission, and assistant head of school for external affairs. Watson, 92, a World War II veteran and lifelong resident of Mercersburg’s Fayette Street community, received his honorary degree May 25.
On Friday, June 1, retiring faculty member Suzanne Wootton was the featured speaker at the Academy’s baccalaureate ceremony in the Irvine Memorial Chapel. Wootton, who came to Mercersburg in 1985, taught English and worked with students in the college counseling department. A former winner of the Alan Zern Award for Excellence in Teaching, she was the first recipient of the Mary Keeler Lawrence Distinguished Teaching Chair. (Read the transcript of Wootton's speech.)
Quotes from commencement day:
“As we look back on our time spent on a hill in south-central Pennsylvania, we can only be thankful.”
Chuck Roberts ’07, salutatorian
“Mercersburg, in many ways, has been a stage—a foundation where we have grown, lived, and learned.”
Alex Gekas ’07, Class Orator
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, and live the life you’ve imagined.”
--Denise Dupre ’76, president of the Board of Regents
“All the great moments I’ve had here could never be replaced—and I’m so thankful for them.”
Tyler Small ’07, Nevin Orator
“Be proud of all you’ve accomplished, and be proud of the place where you’ve accomplished it.”
Douglas Hale, head of school
“As we move forward, I hope that everyone in this class transcends narrow national identities and finds his or her niche on the international stage.”
Yea Eun Kwak, valedictorian
Mercersburg Academy conferred diplomas upon 128 members of the Class of 2007 Saturday, June 2, as part of its 114th commencement exercises. (See photos of Commencement 2007.)
Members of the graduating class plan to enroll at 93 different colleges and universities. Dickinson College and the United States Naval Academy are the most popular destinations of this year’s graduates (five apiece). Other institutions represented include Duke University, Columbia University, Northwestern University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the University of Southern California, Carnegie Mellon University, and Sewanee.
Graduates received their diplomas from Head of School Douglas Hale and Board of Regents President Denise M. Dupre ’76.
Yea Eun Kwak of Northbrook, Illinois, was valedictorian of the class; Chuck Roberts of Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, was salutatorian. The Nevin Orator was Tyler Small of Nashport, Ohio, and the Class Orator was Alex Gekas of Frederick, Maryland. Class President Ryan Colby of Birdsboro, Pennsylvania, gave the welcome; Samantha Schroer and Tim Rahauser, both of Mercersburg, offered the invocation and benediction, respectively. Andrew Graham of Gibson Island, Maryland, and Madi McConnell of Blairsville, Pennsylvania, served as Class Marshals.
Dick Cass ’64, president of the National Football League’s Baltimore Ravens and a former member of the Academy’s Board of Regents, gave the commencement address. (Read the transcript of Cass's speech.)
While referencing Robert Frost’s famous poem “The Road Not Taken,” Cass advised the graduating class to “not be in a hurry” to choose a path. “If you arrive at two roads in a wood, take one for a while, and then turn around, go back and take the second road,” Cass said. “Indeed, there may be three or four or five roads you need to try.
“Whatever road you may take, you will be well-prepared because of your experience here at Mercersburg,” he continued. “You should not underestimate the usefulness of what you have experienced here as a platform for dealing with the difficult issues that will undoubtedly come your way in the years ahead. In ways you cannot imagine, your Mercersburg experience will return again and again to serve you well.”
Honorary diplomas were awarded to longtime Mercersburg faculty member Donald D. Hill and Mercersburg resident Robert L. “Cornie” Watson. Hill, who will retire in November, has spent 37 years at Mercersburg as a teacher, coach, director of admission, and assistant head of school for external affairs. Watson, 92, a World War II veteran and lifelong resident of Mercersburg’s Fayette Street community, received his honorary degree May 25.
On Friday, June 1, retiring faculty member Suzanne Wootton was the featured speaker at the Academy’s baccalaureate ceremony in the Irvine Memorial Chapel. Wootton, who came to Mercersburg in 1985, taught English and worked with students in the college counseling department. A former winner of the Alan Zern Award for Excellence in Teaching, she was the first recipient of the Mary Keeler Lawrence Distinguished Teaching Chair. (Read the transcript of Wootton's speech.)
Quotes from commencement day:
“As we look back on our time spent on a hill in south-central Pennsylvania, we can only be thankful.”
Chuck Roberts ’07, salutatorian
“Mercersburg, in many ways, has been a stage—a foundation where we have grown, lived, and learned.”
Alex Gekas ’07, Class Orator
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, and live the life you’ve imagined.”
--Denise Dupre ’76, president of the Board of Regents
“All the great moments I’ve had here could never be replaced—and I’m so thankful for them.”
Tyler Small ’07, Nevin Orator
“Be proud of all you’ve accomplished, and be proud of the place where you’ve accomplished it.”
Douglas Hale, head of school
“As we move forward, I hope that everyone in this class transcends narrow national identities and finds his or her niche on the international stage.”
Yea Eun Kwak, valedictorian
